Pages

Friday, July 1, 2011

Fourth of July Cake

Here I share with you another great dessert option for Fourth of July!

Cake is always a great option for dessert. No matter how many new and exciting desserts start to take over - cupcakes... cake lollipops... macarons - cake is here to stay! Cake is classic. It has been around for years, and (in my opinion) will always be here!

So for this Fourth of July holiday I made you a cake! A red, white, and blue cake.

This cake is frosted with a white Swiss meringue buttercream. Simple and classic. Nothing flashy, nothing too over-the-top. However, the outside of the cake is deceptive for what is inside. When you slice into the cake you see a 4 layer red-white-blue cake. Two layers of cake are blue and 2 layers are red. And then in-between each layer is white Swiss meringue buttercream. This creates the special American feel to this cake. And then to add an extra All-American touch, I topped the cake off with an American flag.

The recipe I used for this cake is a simple white cake (it's actually the base cake I used for the funfetti cupcakes). I divided the batter into 2 and made 2 8-inch cakes. I cut each cake in half horizontally to create 4 thinner layers. However you can always leave your cakes as is and make a 2-layer cake instead. Both ways will still create the red, white, and blue theme, so do whichever you prefer :).

This cake is both festive and delicious. You can't go wrong with a "white" cake frosted with a Swiss meringue buttercream. This cake is sure to please everyone!

To make the cake batter, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Mix in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture, alternatively with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour.

Pour half of the batter into another bowl. Mix in the red food coloring to one half of the batter, and then blue food coloring into the other half. If you would like your colors to be more intense, you can always add more food coloring. Pour the batter into the prepared pans – the red batter in one pan and the blue batter in the other.

Bake the cakes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool the cakes in the pan for about 15-20 minutes, then remove from the pans and place on a cooling rack until completely cooled.

While the cakes are cooling, make the swiss meringue buttercream frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the egg whites, sugar, and salt. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water. Whisk constantly until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture reaches about 150 degrees F.

Take the bowl and attach it your mixture, fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk the egg white mixture until it reaches room temperature and stiff peaks have formed, about 5-10 minutes. At this point the mixture will be thickened and white. With the mixer on low speed, add the butter, 2 tablespoon as a time. Once all the butter is added, raise the speed to medium high and mix until the mixture starts to come together. Remove the whisk attachment and replace with the beater attachment. Beat until the buttercream comes together fully and is smooth. This will take time, about 5 minutes. So don’t worry if you think you did something wrong, it will come together and create a smooth and creamy buttercream.

Once finished, mix in the vanilla. You can also color your buttercream at this point if desired. I kept mine white to go with the red, white, and blue theme.

Before assembling the cake, wrap each cake in plastic wrap and place in the freezer for about 20 minutes, just to firm it up. Cut each cake horizontally in half using a large serrated knife. Place the bottom half of the blue cake, top side up, on a cake stand or plate. Top with an even layer of frosting, leaving ¼ inch at the edge of the cake. Top with the top red half, bottom side up, and top with frosting. Continue with the other 2 layers. Place a large dollop of frosting on top of the cake and spread it down until it is a thin even layer. Frost the sides of the cake thoroughly with a thin layer of frosting. This will seal in the crumbs. Place the cake in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Remove from the refrigerator and finish frosting as desired.

I didn’t add any decoration on this cake. I wanted it to be simple. To get a smooth finish on the frosting, use a large icing spatula to smooth out the sides and top of the cakes. Top with a small American flag. Serve and Enjoy :)!

[If you have any frosting left over, you can always refrigerate or freeze this frosting. Then when you want to use it again, thaw it to room temperature, and beat in a mixer until smooth and creamy.]

I agree with all the comments. I was lucky enough to actually taste this cake, and it was GREAT!!! It melted in my mouth and I couldn't stop eating it. (I even went back to the kitchen for seconds!) I wish everyone could taste it.

Thank you for reading Krissy's Creations! I put much love and hard work into every post I create for you. If you enjoyed it, please leave a comment :). Know that I read every comment and appreciate them GREATLY!